How is France looking to meet its promise of inducting 30,000 Indian students by 2030?
Recently, President Emmanuel Marcon announced that France is ready to welcome 30,000 Indian students by 2030. So, could you help us understand what France has in store for Indian students?
This is a top priority for us. Last year, we had close to 7,000 students from India; so we have a long way to go.
To achieve this, we offer Indian students some of the best higher education in the world; French universities are ranked among the top 10 in the Shanghai Ranking (The Academic Ranking of World Universities) and the Times Higher Education Ranking.
Second, the cost of higher education in France is more reasonable than in the USA or the UK. A master’s degree in France costs less than €4,000 a year. This is not because higher education isn’t cheap in itself in France, but because the French government considers education a priority and subsidises higher education for all students, whether French or foreign.
France also has special programmes for Indian students, and more than 1,700 curricula taught completely in English. We also launched the “Classes Internationale” programme specially for Indian students, so that they can come to France and learn French.
France has introduced a new scheme through which Indian students with Master's degrees and above can get short-stay Schengen visas. How would this benefit Indian students who want to study further or work in France?
The idea behind this is that when an Indian student has finished their education in France and returns to India, we know that he will be a friend of France all their life — and we these students to keep this link with France even after their studies.
Thus, the five-year short-stay, Schengen visa will enable our Indian friends to keep this link with France, keep good relations with their French friends, and visit France often. Now, this is not a study or work visa, but for Indian graduates from France to continue their relationship with us.
This is a multiple-entry, short-stay visa; and the Schengen visa holders look for new projects, employment, and plan for further studies during this period.
Campus France reports that in 2022-23, there has been an increase in the number of Indian students moving to France for education, and this rise offsets the decrease in the number of Chinese students on exchange programmes.
In your opinion, why do Indian students prefer France as a destination to study abroad? What benefits would they get?
Among the advantages of choosing France as a destination to study abroad is getting access to education, which is among the best in the world. For example, France has won several Nobel prizes in fields like Science and Economics. We also won the second-highest number of Fields Medals for Mathematics. Moreover, this is a top-class education at a reasonable cost.
What Indian students are mostly interested in, however, is that they can avail a two-year work visa in France, and get into their first job here before kickstarting their careers or moving back to India. This is an added value in terms of employability, and Indian students, as French students are looking for this added value.
Completing higher education in France, therefore, gives Indian students an advantage of working in France, or moving back to India to work in one of the 1,000-plus French companies doing business in India.
